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It's impressive that these expressions are able to stay so rational even when they're having operations performed on them.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. But what happened when they got up there? They’ve been gone an awfully long time…
ACT Math 4.3 Pre-Algebra 371 Views
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Description:
ACT Math: Pre-Algebra Drill 4, Problem 3. Simplify the expression.
Transcript
- 00:03
Let's all hold hands and shmoop together...
- 00:06
Simplify a to the 2x power times a to the negative 2x power.
- 00:11
And here are the potential answers...
- 00:17
This question tests really one thing:
- 00:18
Do we realize that we can just add or subtract exponents when the bases are the same in a problem?
Full Transcript
- 00:25
So here we have a to the 2x times a to the NEGATIVE 2x.
- 00:31
And we are adding the exponents... so in America... 2x minus 2x is ...what?
- 00:38
Yep. Zilch. Zip. Nada.
- 00:41
So what's a to the ... zero power?
- 00:43
Well, by definition -- any number to the zero power is ...1.
- 00:46
So a to the zero is 1, and the answer is B.
- 00:49
As in, "Base running."
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It's impressive that these expressions are able to stay so rational even when they're having operations performed on them.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. But what happened when they got up there? They’ve been gone an awfully long time…